This invention relates generally to toys, and more particularly, to illuminated spinning toys.
The patent literature includes numerous examples of toys arranged to be spun and/or illuminated to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance to amuse the user. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,036 (Wisznia) discloses a one piece spinning toy with markings made of either luminous or fluorescent material. When the toy is spun, it spins at an angle rather than upright, which creates a wobbling effect that causes the markings to generate a clear three-dimensional pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,929 (Nelson et al.) discloses an amusement device used to move a supported display object, e.g., an xe2x80x9ceyeballxe2x80x9d through an erratic path. The amusement device includes a base element in which is disposed a rotating assembly. The rotating assembly can be battery powered, spring powered or manually powered. A support spring is used to interconnect a display object to the rotating assembly in the base element. The support spring has a first end and a second end. The first end of the support spring is coupled to the rotating assembly within the base element, wherein the support spring is rotated by the rotating assembly. The remainder of the support spring extends freely from the base element. The display object is coupled to the second end of the support spring. As the display object rotates, it causes the support spring to at least partially elongate, thereby causing the display object to move erratically from point to point.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,064 (Kulesza et al.) discloses a spinning toy or top including a hollow rotating body with a generally low center of gravity caused by a mass positioned near the bottom of the body and having a portion thereof extending through the lower wall of the body to define a point on which the toy spins. A pair of limbs may be pivotally mounted on the top to be raised or otherwise actuated by centrifugal force upon rotation of the top. A head or similar device may be positioned on the body and coupled thereto for concurrent rotation by frictional forces. The toy is spun by a spinner that includes an elongated screw fabricated in a helical configuration. A handle is secured to the top of the screw and a clutch is mounted on the lower end. The clutch includes a gripping member slidably mounted on the screw so as to rotate when moved relative to the screw. The head member includes a detent mechanism so that the head can be held in a stationary position, or selectively stopped by engagement with the handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,542 (Reysman) discloses an illuminating spinning toy in the form of a disc which may be rotated by twisted cords extending through openings in the disc. The device is formed of two halves which when attached, form an internal battery and light bulb compartment. Within this compartment is located a security bar which may be locked across the compartment to hold the internal elements in a stationary, secure position. A centrifugal switch is also located within the compartment to cause the light to be illuminated when the disc is rotated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,4355,917 (Lee) discloses an illuminated flying saucer toy is which incandescent lamps are pulsed on and off by an astable multivibrator circuit. The circuit is arranged to pulse at a relatively slow rate when the toy is at rest and at a relatively increased rate when the toy spins at a rate above a predetermined minimum. The increased flash rate is provided through a normally open switch that closes upon rotation of the toy to insert additional resistance into the circuit in parallel with existing resistance thereby to reduce the resistance by which flash interval is determined.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,235 (Bendik, Jr. et al.) discloses a cylindrical metal disc that is optimized to spin/roll on a base for an extended length of time, and as the angle of inclination of the disc decreases to zero, a tone is emitted by the spinning/rolling of the disc rises in pitch towards infinity. To optimize the spinning/rolling time, the radius-to-height aspect ratio of the disc is approximately three, the upper surface of the base and the lower edge of the disc are smooth and hard to enable the disc to spin/roll for an extended length of time, and the base has three legs and is solidly constructed to minimize energy losses due to vibration. The upper surface of the base is concave to prevent the disc from wandering as it spins/rolls. The top of the disc is tessellated with tiles having effectively random optic orientations to produce the appearance of a cloud of sparkling lights in the vicinity of the top surface of the disc as it spins/rolls.
Various illuminated spinning toys are commercially available. For example, SRM Toys, the assignee of the subject invention, sells a toy under the trademark xe2x80x9cLight Chaser.xe2x80x9d The Light Chaser toy is a hand-held device including a handle assembly supporting a rotatable hub. Projecting outward from the hub are plural flexible arms, each one terminating in a light source or lamp. The hub is arranged to be rotated at a high rate of speed by a electric motor receiving power from a battery pack. The battery pack and the motor are located in the handle assembly. The handle assembly includes a depressable button or trigger, which when depressed enables electric power from the battery pack to be provided to the motor, whereupon the motor operates to rapidly spin the arms and cause them to extend outward radially from the hub. The lights in the arms are arranged to receive power from the battery pack when the trigger is depressed, whereupon they illuminate as they spin, creating a highly attractive visual effect.
While the foregoing prior art appears generally suitable for their intended purposes, they still leave much to be desired from the standpoints of providing an aesthetically pleasing visual appearance.
A toy for producing a three dimensional aesthetically pleasing image. The toy comprises a handle, a source of illumination, a rotary drive mechanism, and a plate-like member. The plate-like is rotatable about an axis and has an exterior surface at least a portion of which is a holographic diffraction surface, e.g., the exterior surface includes at least a portion in the form of a holographic diffraction film. The handle is arranged to be held in the hand of a user and serves to hold the rotary drive mechanism therein.
The rotary drive mechanism comprises an electrical power source (e.g., a battery pack including one or more electric batteries), an electrical switch (e.g., an ON-OFF switch), and an electrically operated motor. The motor is coupled to the power source, the switch and the plate-like member. Actuation of the switch causes electrical power provided from the power source to the motor to cause the motor rapidly rotate the plate-like member about the axis. The plate-like member can have any shaped periphery or profile, e.g., be circular, so that when it is rotated it creates the illusion of a three dimensional image, e.g., a sphere, corresponding to the two dimensional profile of the plate-like member. Light received by the holographic diffraction surface on the rotating plate-like member is refracted to produce the visual effect as if the three dimensional image was internally illuminated, e.g., multi-chromatically.
In one exemplary preferred embodiment of the invention the plate like member includes an opening in which there is located a transparent sphere having a three dimensional body, e.g., a cartoon character, disposed therein for viewing through the sphere.
In another exemplary embodiment the rotating plate-like member is mounted on a shaft, with the shaft being coupled to the motor for rotation about the longitudinal axis. In this embodiment the shaft is also movable axially along the axis toward and away from the handle, whereupon the rotating plate-like member appears to levitate with respect to the handle.